Years ago, I watched, what I thought was a really good movie, “Not Without My Daughter”. This movie was about an Iranian physician who wants to visit Iran with his American family. He tells his wife, Betty, that his Iranian family wants to meet her and their young daughter, and asks them to come with him for a two week visit. Despite her deep fears about visiting Iran, particularly due to the Iranian Hostage Crisis, Betty reluctantly agrees. Upon their arrival, they are all greeted warmly by her husband’s family, but shortly before their flight back to America, Moody announces to his wife that he wishes for them to stay in Iran. Betty quickly realizes that she has been deceived by her husband, even though Moody took an oath that they would return to America, “swearing” on the sacred Koran. When she protests, Moody strikes her, and nobody in Moody’s family sympathises with her. 

Planning and Hoping

Moody becomes more hostile and abusive, preventing her from leaving the house or using the telephone. Betty briefly manages to visit the American Interests Section of the Swiss Embassy, but is told that she is now an Iranian citizen since she is married to an Iranian, and as long as she lives in Iran, she cannot leave the country without her husband’s written consent and has no parental rights over her daughter. Moody learns of Betty’s meeting and threatens to kill her if she tries anything again.

Knowing that her chances of escape are minuscule, Betty conforms to her husband’s wishes in order to gain the trust of Moody and his family. By chance, during a trip to the marketplace, she meets a sympathetic shopkeeper who overhears her telephone conversations with the Swiss Embassy and puts her in contact with a humanitarian Iranian, Hossein, who offers to help Betty and Mahtob in their passage back to America. The plan becomes complicated when Betty receives news from America that her father is seriously ill and may be dying. Moody approves of Betty returning to see her dying father, but will not let Mahtob go with her. Betty decides to wait to return to America with Mahtob, but Moody unknowingly foils her by having her booked on a flight several days early thanks to his relatives’ contacts in the airport.

Not Without My Daughter

Betty eventually gets what seems to be her last chance to escape when Moody is suddenly called to the clinic for an emergency. On the pretense of going to buy presents for her father, Betty takes Mahtob and they contact Hossein, who manages to send Betty and Mahtob off with some Iranian smugglers, and using fake identity documents, they make their way past the checkpoints. Despite the difficult and very dangerous journey, Betty and Mahtob are dropped off in a street in Turkey, where they see the American Embassy in the distance. “We’re home,” says Betty.

Not Without Jesus

Betty was determined to return to America, but not without her daughter.  When I think of the title of this movie, a true story, I think about Jesus Christ and I say to myself that we cannot do anything without Him.  We can’t breathe without Him, we can’t think, we can’t focus, we can’t talk, we can’t ambulate, we can’t eat, we can’t thrive; we can’t do anything without Jesus.  We can’t start our businesses, we can’t market our businesses, we can’t manage, grow or promote our businesses.  

Equipped with Tools Called Greatness!

When God calls us to fulfill a goal or a promise to Him or perhaps to a customer/client, He is going to equip you with the tools to do the job and to do the job right.  Giving glory and honor to God, our hearts should be filled and overflowing with an abundance of thanksgiving because we can rest assured that the outcome is going to be sensational; truly phenomenal because God is in control; we cannot do anything without Jesus.

Not without Jesus should be one of the fruits we eat every day.  Not without Jesus should be the nourishment that strengthens us. It should be the hope that restores us.  Not without Jesus should be the peace that encompasses us.  It should be the motto and brand for our businesses.  Not without Jesus is the blessing that comes down from the window of heaven and the gift that God gives us to help us in every aspect of life and in every area of our businesses.

Written by Cynthia G. Boyer